Linux has grown up incredibly during the last years. And if not yet completely mature and stable for the vast majority of computer users, at least ready to move from home. But unfortunately a large majority of the community is still childish and totally biased on even the slightest complain of Linux or in any comparison discussion between Mac or Windows.

How many times have you read that it’s a myth that Linux is

• difficult to use
• difficult to install programs
• difficult to get the hardware to work and impossible to find drivers
• difficult to find help and that there is no support what so ever

Let’s get one thing very clear. Its not a myth, it was like that just a few years ago. At the time when Windows XP was released, Linux was still a pain in the ass to use. Too many people knows that, even by own experience from home, school or work. They still have nightmares about that unix/linux terminal or in the best case a really ugly X windows. And remember, this was at the time when you could already plug virtually anything in the Windows XP and it would most probably install the device automatically. In worst case you could visit the makers web page and download the drivers.

But still today, year 2008, many wireless cards, graphic cards, tons of USB devices just wont work out of the box with Linux.

With that said lets praise Linux for where it is today. The last years there has been a tremendous development and Mark Shuttleworth sort of finished it off with his Ubuntu. There is a strength in open source which I believe in strongly. There will never be any management saying no to an idea because you can’t make money on it or because it’s not company policy. If someone wants it, its going to happen for sure in open source.

But I call for a small change in attitude in how we should sell Linux and I have drafted following four points:

1. Admit the history. Just because it works quite well with the latest releases of Ubuntu, it doesn’t mean that it always was like that. Don’t get too cocky just because you also just got that Mac-dock or cool compiz features. We got that recently - remember.
2. Admit whats good with Windows and Mac. There are tons of things which are much better with those systems. I would never in my life recommend a hard core gamer to to start with Linux, he would go back to Windows immediately. I have never, during my 15 years of computing had a device which couldn’t be install in windows with quite ease, with Linux that happens now and then. How easy is it to do such a fundamental thing such as dual screens in different configurations compared to in the competing OS’s. Adobe and Autodesk doesn’t have some of the most important programs in Linux format, its also something to bring up. So no need to say everything is better, its not. And there are no need to cry out in tears if someone complains about using the terminal.
3. Bring on all the stuff which is better in Linux. You know it so well already so I do not need to tell, but of course you mention that everything is 100% free, it comes with complete set of programs pre-installed, it is super easy to install new programs, there are several nice desktops environments to choose from, it has the most helpful community in the world (Ubuntuforums.com) etc etc etc.
4. Finish it off with the the most important point. Because its fun!

Kimchikid